Between life and death – seconds. How Third Legion fighters brought down an FPV drone on the move

Everything unfolds in a flash. A pickup truck races down a dirt road, kicking up clouds of dust. In the back are fighters from the Third International Legion of Defense of Ukraine. They are tired but focused. Suddenly, there is a buzz in the sky — an enemy FPV drone waiting at the turn. A merciless chase begins. There are six of them. Among them are wounded soldiers in the open bed of the truck, speeding across a field with nowhere to hide. And on their tail is a “bird” programmed to kill.

If it hits, no one will be left. A piercing buzz, metallic, like the taste of blood, is getting closer.

Anyone else would have frozen in paralysis. But not these guys. The pickup truck bounces over the potholes, but they don't take their eyes off the target. They take aim. And fire! Fire! Fire!

War teaches you to live in the moment. And in those seconds, it's either you or them. What happened to these guys could have been a scene from an action movie. But this isn't a movie. This is the real front line of the Russian-Ukrainian war.

We spoke with Bacardi and Wrigley, two of the six legionnaires who took part in that fierce battle. Here's how they described what they saw with their own eyes, without embellishment or filters.

How did you react when you first noticed the drone flying towards you? How quickly were you able to get your bearings and start acting? Did you have a clear strategy, or did you act intuitively?

Bacardi: We were constantly watching the sky. You don't feel safe here until you reach the base. And in the distance, about 500–600 meters away, we spotted an FPV drone. When we realized that it had also spotted us, I, as the team leader, gave the order to open fire. There were six of us, and we all started aiming and shooting.

It is extremely difficult to shoot down a drone. I can say that I fired 20–25 shots from a 30-round magazine. If I had been alone at the time, I might not be talking to you now. But thanks to a team of professional fighters with experience gained before coming to Ukraine, we managed to hit one of the propellers. It lost control and crashed into a forest strip next to the road.

Wrigley: When the drone was chasing us, I was already wounded — I had a concussion and suspected a pneumothorax. When we got into the back of the pickup truck, I warned everyone that the turn was dangerous because we would have to slow down there. I had been hearing FPV drones all day in that area, so I knew they were there, but I didn't know exactly where.

When we got to the turn, I noticed a drone hovering in the field. It descended, landed, and just sat there waiting for us to reach the turn. As soon as we approached, it activated and started chasing us. As soon as we spotted it, we opened fire.

Hitting an FPV drone at full speed is almost impossible. The drone flies low, maneuvers, and changes its trajectory every second. And yet you shot it down. What shooting techniques did you use to hit such a dangerous target?

Bacardi: I remember keeping the drone in my sights, aiming the red dot, but shooting a little higher. I understood that because of the movement of the vehicle, I had to aim ahead. I fired short bursts of 2–3 shots. That's one technique. But you still need a bit of luck. Considering that the drone was 5–6 meters away from us, if I had hit the grenade it was carrying, we would have been hit by shrapnel.

You can also try firing in bursts. Make a circular or upward movement so that one of the bullets hits the drone. But the problem is that with adrenaline, you can shoot the entire magazine in 2-3 seconds and be left without ammunition.

Wrigley: If anyone wants advice, I would recommend shooting ahead. You need to aim 2-3 meters ahead of the drone's trajectory, depending on its speed. Don't shoot directly at it.

That drone was fiber optic-controlled, which makes it a little slower than drones without fiber optics. Jammers don't work on these FPVs, so you have to be able to shoot them down manually. I also recommend using shotguns.

What did you feel at the moment when the drone was flying straight at you? What was going on inside: fear, adrenaline, cold calculation, or something else?

Bacardi: We had seen a lot of videos of FPV drones destroying vehicles, so personally, I was sure I was going to die at that moment. But it was like a reflex — we all automatically started shooting, trying to shoot it down.

As soon as you encounter a drone or an enemy, adrenaline takes over, and it's normal to feel fear. But you have to try to keep a clear head and not think that you're going to die. Because usually, most incidents happen when guys with little military experience are in combat for the first time and immediately think they're going to die.

Wrigley: In my opinion, you need to stay calm. Because it's not just your life at stake, but the lives of all your brothers in arms around you. I'm not saying it's not scary — it is. But you have to stay calm so you can spot other threats. Because we could have been attacked by not one drone, but three. Fortunately, there was only one that time.

This video is not just a chronicle of the battle. It is a metaphor for the entire struggle of Ukraine and the legionnaires of the free world in the ranks of its Armed Forces. Where there is no room for error. Where those who do not give up even in the darkest moments survive. Where every fighter is not just a soldier, but a person capable of superhuman feats.

Join the brave, improve yourself every day, and be on top, ready for anything!

Text: Dmytro Tolkachov

Interview Volodymyr Patola

Editing Oleksandr Los

Combat camera: participants in the events, servicemen of the 3rd International Legion of Defense of Ukraine